"MaxMustermann" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

I've got a dilemma!!

I'm going to be away from 5 May in the evening till 16 May in the
evening. That's basically 11 whole days. I've got plants in flower
boxes on the balcony, where they get sun from early in the morning till
mid-afternoon. The plants I have a spearmint, marjoram, estragon as
grown plants, and rucola, flat-leaf parsley and chives as little plants
growing from seeds ranging from 2 to 4 weeks old.

I've checked the weather forecast for the next 10 days and it is
possible that it rains from the 11 May. It's just sun before that!

I have the possibility (and hassle) to carry the boxes with me (as I'll
be staying in a different apartment during that time).

So.. should I risk it and leave them all alone for so long or should I
take them with me?

Any suggesstions?

Thanks,
Max



Max, never count on "sposeta" - it's "sposeta rain". The best suggestion is
to have a competent person water the plants, but if this isn't possible,
here's what you do: Water the plants thoroughly and let the boxes drain so
they're not messy. Buy some heavy plastic sheets like those used to protect
floors while painting. Bring the plants indoors, group them together, and
close all the shades & curtains. This will slow their metabolism so they
need less water.

The only caveat here is that although this method works beautifully for
mature plants, it's a bit risky with tiny seedlings because they don't use
as much water, so if the soil's too wet, their roots could rot, especially
in dim lighting with little or no air circulation. You have to get the soil
just right. Not soaked, but not too dry.